Both the provision and advantages of battery carrying handles are well known, especially of bail-type handles. Bail handles typically comprise a U- or C-shaped member attached to opposing sides of the battery, either on its container or cover, by which the battery may be carried in much the same fashion as a picnic basket or pail. Frequently, however, bail handles tend to interfere with one or more of the many types of devices by which batteries are mounted in vehicles, and therefore make it difficult to design a battery which is suitable for use with all types of mounting devices.
Bail handles, therefore, have been designed which can be detached and removed from the battery after installation. Examples of detachable bail handles are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,248 to F. Lee; U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,022 to A. Fox; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,515 to R. Rector. While it is claimed that detachable bail handles offer certain other advantages, they are not entirely successful in permitting the battery to be adaptable to all mounting devices. The means for detachably connecting the ends of the bail handle to the battery typically comprises members which project from the overall geometry of the battery, even when the handle is detached, and interfere with some mounting devices. Moreover, detachable handles present the problem of being lost or mislaid after installation of the battery so that they are not available for use carrying the battery at a later date.
It also is known to provide recesses in the battery cover and/or container and to slidably mount a bail handle such that it fits into the recesses when not in use. Examples of such recessible designs are disclosed, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,863 to C. Terrell and U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,264 to M. McGuire et al. Typically, however, the design of such recessible handles is complicated and/or does not allow for easy manufacture or assembly of the handle. For example, thermoplastic polymers are the materials of choice for battery containers and handles, but many handle designs require complicated molds and are expensive and difficult to mold. Some handles must be attached simultaneously with the sealing of the battery cover to the container, and accordingly, the assembly of the battery is unnecessarily complicated. Other handles must be distorted considerably to attach them. Thus, they are somewhat difficult to attach and must be made of highly resilient material not entirely suitable for supporting the weight of the battery without a real possibility of detaching. Recessed handles also tend to be difficult to grasp and/or awkward and uncomfortable to use.
An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a bail type battery handle which is simply, easily, and economically manufactured and strong and reliable in use, yet which is slidably received in corresponding recesses and which may be attached easily and without significant distortion after assembly of the otherwise completed battery.
It also is an object to provide a recessible handle which cannot be easily disassembled from the battery and lost.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a handle which is grasped easily and comfortably during use.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings.